Surgical instrument



'Sept. 11, 1934. R. B. KURTZ 1,973,569

SURGICAL INSTRUMENT 7 Filed May 12, 1933' Patented Sept. Il, 1934- 1,973,569 SURGICAL INSTRUMENT Robert B. Kurt z, Philadelphia, Pa. Application May 12, 1933, Serial No. 010,022

4 Claims. ion. 12mm This invention relates to improvements in surgical instruments of the type which comprises two relatively movable members pivotally connected and provided with cooperating jaws or other parts on one end portion thereof and opposing handles on the other end portion thereof by means of which the jaws or parts may be moved toward or from each other, such, for example, as forceps .of various kinds. 1o The object of the invention is to provide a novel, simple and efllcient means for pivotally connecting the two members of the instrument in a manner which permit them to be easily and quickly put together orassembled into op erative relationship and just as easily and quickly disassembled or completely separated for the purposes of cleaning and sterilization and for other purposes. I

With the foregoing and related objects in view, go the invention consists in the novel construction,

combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

vIn the accompanying drawing, illustrating the j invention, 5 Figure 1 is a front view of a surgical instrument, showing one form of embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a side view thereof.

Figure 3 is a view of portions of the two end portion thereof and opposing handles 7 and 8' formed on the other spectively.

The jaw 4 is connected to the main body of end portion thereof, re-

its member 2 by two spaced parallel walls 9, 9,

and the jaw 6 is connected to the main body of its member; .by a widened portion 10 which is located between the walls 9, 9 when the mambers 2 and ,3 are assembled.

The thickness of the widened portion 10 of the member 3 is substantially equal to the space between the walls 9, 9 of the member 2, so that the contacting surfaces of the portion 10 and the walls 9, 9 will'ma'intain the jaws 4 and 6- and handles 7 and 8 in proper working relation and preserve the alinement of the jaws and the handles when they are moved toward and from each. other, as will be presently explained.

The widened portion 10 of the member 3 is provided with a pin 11 which is forced into and W through a bore in the portion 10 and thereby firmly held in place therein. The respective end portions of the pin 11 extend outwardly from the portion 1c and constitute pivot projections 12, 12 for the member 3. These pivot projections 12, 12 extend into oppositely disposed slots 13, 13 formed in the walls 9, 9. The slots 13, 13 have open ends at one side of the walls 9, 9, and they extend from their open ends to the central'portion of the walls 9, 9 and have closed inner ends'which embrace and are fitted to the pivot projections 12, 12 an'dform bearings therefor, and thereby pivotally connect the two members 2 and 3 in a manner to permit them topivot on the axis of the projections 12, 12 for. 76

the opening and closing ofthe jaws 4 and'd when the handles 7 and 8 are moved from'and toward each other.

It will be observed that the walls 9, 9 are of oblong shape and that the jaw 4 and the body of 80 the member 2 extend from diagonally opposite comers of the walls 9-9, and also that the jaw 6 and the body of the member 3 extend from the opposite diagonal corners of the walls 9, 9 and also that the ends of the slots 13, 13 are open at the side of the'walls 9, 9 which carry the jaw 4. This arrangement of the parts causes any inward pressure on the handles 7 and 8, which forces'the jaws 4 and 6 toward each other and into engagement with any thing or object placed between them, to tend to move the pivot projections 12, 12 toward the closed end of the slots 13, 13 and thus keep them in proper pivotal working engagement therewith when the instrument is in service.

The member 2, adjacent to its handle 7, is provided with an arm 14 which extends toward the member 3 and has a series of teeth 15 thereon,

'and the member 3, adjacent to its handle 8, is

provided with an arm 16 which extends toward the member 2 and has a hook 17 formed on its free end and adapted to be engaged wi h ny One of the teeth 15 to hold the instrument in a closed position or in different positions with its jaws in; engagement with an object or thing held between 106 them, the members 2 and 3 having sufficient resilience to permit the hook 17 to be sprung into and out of engagement with the teeth 15, as, is common in instruments of this general character. 110

When it'is' desired to separate the members 2 and 3 for cleaning and for sterilization and for any other purpose, it is merely necessary to move the handles '7 and 8 apart until the jaws 4 and 6 have been opened fairly wide and then move the member 3 to withdraw the pivot projections 12, 12 from within the slots 13, 13 and to draw'the' jaw 6 into the opening between the walls 9, 9 as shown in Fig. 3, and, thereafter, continue the movement of the member 3, until the jaw 6 has been withdrawn from' within the opening between the walls 9, 9 and the members or parts have been completely separated or disassembled. The two members of the instrument may now be easily washed and completely sterilized, and, thereafter, they may be easilyand quickly put together or reassembled by a reversal of the disassembling operation just described.

In order to prevent the pivot projections 12, from accidentally leaving the slots l3, 13 with the consequent accidental separation of the members 2 and 3, I form the slots l3, 13 so that the end portions thereof, near their open ends, are slightly narrower than. the diameter of the pivot projections l2, l2, and I form the walls a, 9 sumciently thin to provide sumcient resilience to permit the opposing walls oi the open end portions of the slots 13, 13 to be sprung apart to permit the projections l2, 12 to be forced into and from within the slots with a reasonable and suitable amount of pressure when the members 2 and 3 are assembled and disassembled, as previously explained.

The opposing walls of the jawsxt and 6 are serrated and the, instrument herein illustrated is made in the form of a hemostat. I desire it to be understood, however, that my invention is not limited to an instrument of this particular character and that it is applicable to all kinds of forceps and analogous instruments.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a surgical instrument, two relatively rovable members having opposing jaws on one end portion thereof and opposing handles on the other end portion thereof, one of said members having an opening extending therethrough and formed between spaced walls which connect its jaw to its main body, and the other or said members extending through said opening, and its jaw being constructed to be moved therethrough for assembling and disassembling the members, one of said walls having a slot therein closed at one end thereof and open at the other end thereor, the member extending between said walls and having a pivot projection extending therefrom and into said slot for pivotally connecting the members, said projection being movable from within the slot for permitting the separation of the members, the closed end portion oi the slot being substantially as wide as the diameter of the projection, the open end portion or the slot being narrower than the diameter of the projec= tion to prevent accidental displacement or the projection from within the slot, and the wall forming the slot being constructed to yield to per mit the projection to enter and leave the slot.

'tion of the members.

2. In a surgical instrument, two relatively movable members having opposing jaws on one end portion thereof and opposing handles on the other end portion thereof, one of said members having an opening extending therethrough and formed between spaced walls which connect its jaw to its main body, and the other of said members extending through said opening, and its jaw being constructed to be moved therethrough for assembling and disassembling the members, said walls having oppositely disposed alined slots therein .open at one end thereof and closed at the other end thereof, the member extending between said walls having alined pivot projections extending fixedly from opposite surfaces thereof and into said slots for pivotally connecting the members, and said projections being movable from within the slots for permitting the separation of the members.

3. In a surgical instrument, two relatively movable members having opposing jaws on one end portion thereof and opposing handles on the other end portion thereof, one of said members having an opening extending therethrough and formed between spaced walls which connect its jaw to its main body, and the other of said members extending through said opening, and its jaw being constructed to be moved therethrough for assembling and disassembling the members, and means pivotally connecting the members when assembled, said walls having oppositely disposed slots therein open at one end thereof and closed at the other end thereof, the memberextending between said walls having pivot projections ex= tending into said slots for pivotally connecting the members, said projections being movable from within the slots for permitting the separation of the members, the closed end portions or the slots being substantially as wide as the diameter of the projections, the open end portions of the slots being narrower than the diameter or the projections to prevent accidental displacement of the projections from the slot, and the walls forming the slots being constructed to yield to permit the projections to enter and leave the same.

a. In a surgical instrument, two relatively mov- Elli able members having opposing jaws on one end portion thereof and opposing handles on the other end portion thereof, one of said members having an opening extending therethrough and deemed between spaced walls which connect its jaw to its main body, and the other of said members extending through said opening, and its jaw being constructed to bemoved therethrough for as sembl'ing and disassembling the members, said walls having oppositely disposed alined slots therein open at one end thereof and closed at the other end thereof, the member extending between said walls having a transverse pin extending therethrough and fixedly relating thereto and having its respective end portions projecting from opposite surfaces thereof and into said slots for pivotally connecting the members, and the prononarvr a. near-z. 

